Five Questions to Get the Diversity and Inclusion Conversation Started with Your Organization

Not sure where to start the diversity and inclusion conversation? These five questions will help.

Diversity and inclusion conversations require bravery and courage, and you do not have to do it alone. At Next Pivot Point, we believe we are stronger together, when we all come together as allies. We need people in the majority group (white, cisgender, male, straight, able-bodied) now more than ever engaged in the diversity and inclusion conversation.

Those that are generally considered diverse talent do not identify with the majority group by one or more dimension (non-white, LGBTQ+, female, disability). Diverse groups cannot solve the equality problem alone. A small percentage of the population will only solve a small percentage of the problem.

Therein lies a chance to be an ally. Allies are people that advocate for people different than themselves. Allies talk bravely and candidly about it. If you strive to be an ally for others, consider asking these five questions at your organization:

Why does our organization care about diversity and inclusion?

What would our organization look like if it were more diverse and inclusive?

What would we gain by being more diverse and inclusive?

What is holding us back from maximizing diverse groups of people?

What is one thing we can do to positively impact diversity and inclusion?

These questions can be used at your next team meeting, leadership team discussion, or at lunch with coworkers. They open the door to a bigger dialogue. They work because they address the cultural transformation needed to be more diverse and inclusive.

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With any cultural transformation, that means change, and humans naturally resist change. Change is scary. Some even deny the problem exists altogether. They may say, “it’s a lot better than it used to be (as if continued inequality is okay) or “we cannot find diverse talent” (as if recruiting the same way will yield wildly different results).

There is no organization that has this figured out. Most want to better mirror their customer base, better attract a diverse profile of talent, and retain more diversity. To achieve this cultural shift and provoke real change, leaders must be willing to tackle the tough stuff.

Allyship is a journey. Along the diversity and inclusion journey, organizations must address key areas to sustain the positive cultural transformation:

WHY: People need to know that the organization is authentic about diversity and inclusion.

VISUALIZATION: People need to see it to believe it can be true.

WIIFM: People need to see the benefits to change.

FOMO: People do not want to miss out on the benefits or be left out.

PERSONALIZATION: People need to personally identify with the cause and weigh in to buy in.

Look back at the questions provided. They hit on these key areas needed to sustain the long-term shift that this change requires. They identify the why, evoke visualization, speak to the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) and FOMO (fear of missing out), and personalize it to one simple action item.

Still not sure where to start the diversity and inclusion conversation? I have more ideas.